A DRUGS squad broke doors with battering rams, used sniffer dogs to find cannabis and chased down suspected criminals during a day of action to disrupt drug-dealing gangs in south Essex.

Officers executed five different early-morning raids in Basildon and Southend before they spent hours patrolling streets and stopping cars thought to be used by drug dealers.

It formed part of a three-day operation to crack down on gang members who travel from areas including London and Liverpool to sell drugs, cause violence, carry weapons and prey on the most vulnerable.

The Echo was invited along to two warrants in Southend on Wednesday morning, which were carried out after police had been tipped off by members of the public about drug activity.

Officers executed the first raid in Chancellor Road because they believed dealers were operating from a vulnerable drug user's flat - a process known as cuckooing.

The gangs, often from London, will take over a house and flat and keep on using it until they either get raided by police, or housing associations and other landlords find out about them.

At about 6.45am, about eight officers from the Operation Raptor team stormed through the front door of the multi-occupancy premises and broke down the door of an upper floor flat, screaming "police".

Inside, they found the 46-year-old tenant and searched the premises but no drugs were found.

Sgt Ash Holland, who carried out the raid, said: "Despite the fact that there were no drugs or dealers there, there was clear evidence that other people have been using the premises.

"There was post for other people connected to drug supply as well as other personal effects.

"It's still important to check out these addresses and show the dealers that we are on their tail."

About an hour later, the team carried out a raid at a flat in Carousel Steps in Hawtree Close after neighbours claimed they had seen the tenant bringing inside a cannabis plant and throwing suspected parcels of drugs from the balcony.

They attempted to smash down the flat's steel-enforced door with a battering ram but found that it refused to open because it had been locked shut at five different points.

Instead, officers forced their way into the flat by climbing over a neighbour's balcony.

Mr Holland added: "Because the property was crammed with belongings, we used a sniffer dog to help us search. The dog found about three quarters of an ounce of cannabis in the flat.

"The woman in the flat, who is aged in her early 40s, was reported for possession of cannabis and enquiries are ongoing to locate the tenant."

In Basildon, officers carried out warrants in Long Riding and arrested four men, aged 22, 20 and two 21-year-olds, on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs after cash and phones were seized.

They have been released on police bail.

During the afternoon, police intercepted cars of interest on major routes into Southend, which led to nine people being searched and cannabis being seized.

Steven Foster, 42, of Glenwood Avenue, Eastwood, was also charged with failing to stop and careless driving, following a short pursuit around Southend town centre.

The chase ended when the Volkswagen Golf mounted a kerb in Sutton Road.

Foster was bailed to appear at Southend Magistrates Court on July 11.

Mr Holland added: "The afternoon activity was really successful - we disrupted at least four of the major drugs lines in Southend and stopped them plying their trade for the afternoon."

During the three days, Operation Raptor officers also carried out raids and stopped vehicles of interest in Chelmsford, Braintree, Colchester, Tendring, Thurrock and Epping.